Fly ash trap



J. A. CRUM FLY ASH TRAP June 17, 1941.

VFiled March 7, 1938 IN VENTOR.

v.NU

ATTORNEY rator.

Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED STATES.. PATENT orties l v `:Laterne .FLY ASH TRAP `John .``Cru'm, Arlington Heights, Ohio, assignor to The `Nivison--Weiskopf Company, Reading, Ohio, a corporation Aof Ohio .Application March 7, 1938, Serial No. 194,387

This invention relates to traps or separators associated with the flues, or smokestacks, of furhaces, and adapted to 'arrestsolid matter `such as fly ash and cinders,` carried by the smoke, and normally discharged` into the atmosphere. present invention is directed to an `improved device of this nature, which has a broader scope of application than the devices heretofore available, and which is simplified indesign and" highly efficient in operation. I I v Although considerable attention has been devoted toward abatement of the `smoke `and soot nuisance, the discharge of fly ash Land"cir-iders `into the atmosphereis becoming more prevalent. This largely resul-ts from the practice of burning slack Icoal under `forced draft in industrial plants, and additionally, from the wide-spread userof forced draft, automatic stokerssin home heating Under these firingA conditions, the -`discharge of smoke is minimized, Vbut-increased -precipitation of iiy ash, cinders, and "partially-burned particles of fuel is theresult.` l The present invention is especially adapted to The separate these objectionable materials-from the `flue gases of forced draft furnaces, which -discharge considerable amounts `of heavy particles, especially when fired 4with slack coal. The'separatoris relatively simple indesign and characterized by the absence `of restricted `passage- Ways, and therefore does. not reduce the'velocity of the gases passing from the furnace. l

The separator or trapof "thepresent invention, therefore, is designed for usewith furnaces `operated under forced draft, or having a high velocity of flue gas movement, in which .the .gas is substantially free of soot or other light matter, but carriesconsiderable amountsof ash and'other substantially heavy particles. i

It has been an object of the present inventor to provide aly ash trap, or separator, of simplified structure, for the above specied `uses, which is efficient `in separating the solid `.matter from gases moving at high velocity, and which is substantially free of obstructions to*` the free passage of the gases, and therefore `permits the smokeless combustion ofthe fuel. I

It has been another object to provide a separator which is continuous in operation and which automatically collects `:the separated material and `conducts it to a point removed `from the sepa- For this reason, the separator is. vadmira'- `bly suited to home use, because'litfrequires `noiat- `tention, such `as cleaning or` `removing the` recovered solid matter. lMoreover, the lseparator may be installed directly uponzthe ffurnaoe,V as

arator housing 4 is in the form of a box or chamber, preferably of rectangular shape. The separator is shown installed on the top of a furnace 5, at a point Where the stack or ue normally connects to the combustion chamber. The housing is supported on its lower side on an intake duct or iiue section 6, in communication with vthe combustion chamber of the furnace. The housing 5 includes a tapered outlet iiue 'I at its upper side in communication with the stack or chimney `il, to` conduct the gases to the atmosphere.

The `interior of the housing or chamber includes'a plurality `of baffles or deflector plates 9, which causes the upwardly moving gases -to take a crcuitous, zig-zag path. The first of` this series of bafes, namely Ill, `constitutes a perpendicular Wall surface having a cur-ved upper `portion II, the forward edge of which terminates substantially in a horizontal plane. The baffle t0 is located adjacent the intake opening I2 of the separator housing.

Asecond baille I3 is disposed directly above the first, and spaced upwardly a sufficient distance to permit an unrestricted fiow of gas. The distance between the two baffles is substantially equal in Width to the width of the intake opening I2 located at the bottom of .the chamber.

The third or uppermost baille I4 overhangs `the second baffle in the same manner, from an opposite side of the separator housing. Each of the baffles Vhas a curvature taken on a radius described from a nearly common point. This arrangement provides equal spacing between the baffles, and the passageway between the baffles yis therefore of substantially equal area. Also, due to the fact that the baffles terminate a distance from the adjacent wall substantially equal `to the spacing of the baffles, the uniformity of the passageway is further maintained. The passage- Way thustprovided `is of S-.shape and of substantially equal area throughout. The baffles or deflectors, I3 and I4, are secured to the housing at the opposite longitudinal endsl of the housing and have their side edge margins attached to and in communication with ash collecting pockets or passageways, I5, IS, and II. Each lbaille terminates at a respective pocket, all of which pockets extend downwardly and communicate with ash receiving pipes or conduits I8. The conduits I8 extend downwardly, and in this instance, are shown entering into the fuel hopper I9 of a stoker 20.

A-s the rapidly ascending ash laden gas passes between the series of baffles, it takes a curving zig-zag path. At each reversal of direction, the proportionately heavier particles carried in the gas, due to inertia, continue to travel in a horizontal line after leaving the edge of the bailles, and thus are separated from the gas.

As will be observed in Figure 2, ythe particles continue in their line of motion along the top of the baille until they reach the ash passageways. The bales, I3 and Iii, include perforated portions over the passageways, I and I6, to permit entry of the ash particles into ythe passageways. Each passageway, I5, I, and II, includes a pair of inclined guide surfaces 2| (see Figure 3) of relatively steep pitch and terminating at a point at the top center of the passageway. These inclined members serve to guide the falling ash to the opposite sides of the passageways. The lower edge of each inclined member terminates at an opening 22, in communication with a particular conduit IS, forming, in conjunction with the end wall of the housing, a funnel for the particles. The conduits are in connection with the bin or hopper, and thus serve to conduct the particles from the separator.

Each of the conduits I6 constitutes a Y-shaped manifold, having at its upper end an angular limb 23 for connection to the rear ash passageway. In this manner, each of the four corners of the separator is in communication with the ash disposal conduits.

The separator is fabricated of sheet metal and the various parts are riveted or welded together. This construction is relatively inexpensive, and in addition, provides a light weight structure which is readily installed, and requires no supporting structure other than the furnace or boiler upon which it is installed.

It will be noted that the curved deflector plates extend to the open upper ends of the respective receiving pockets or compartment which they serve. By this arrangement, the top surface of the deilectors acts as a continuation of the compartments and con-ducts the precipitated solid matter to the open receiving end of the respective compartments.

The curvature of the deflectors tends toy accommodate the free passage of the gas, since the curved passageway formed fbetween the deflectors conforms more nearly to the natural curving zig-zag path which the gas is forced to take in passing between the series of deilectors. The gas, therefore, flows smoothly over the deflectors with a minimum of turbulence, such as would be present were the deflectors formed of ilat plates. The relatively heavy particles present in the gas are carried across the top of the deflectors and continue in a relatively straight line to the receiving compartment. rIhis occurs as the gas curves upwardly away from the defiector surface to pass around the leading edge of the next deilector. It has been discovered that the curvature of the deilectors results in greatly increased efliciency in the separation of ash over the use of the flat deflector or baille.

As disclosed, the ash collecting compartments communicate with receiving conduits I8 adapted to convey the ash to a point of disposal. These pipes are open at all times and, if desired, may be extended to the ash pit or other air intake of the furnace, in order to produce a down draft in the conduits I8, to accelerate the disposal of the ash.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for separating and disposing of solid particles from the ascending flue gases of furnaces and the like comprising, a chamber having intake and outlet openings, a plurality of particle receiving compartments on relatively opposite sides of said chamber, each of said compartments including an inwardly extended deilector plate attached thereto along the open upper end of said compartment, said deector plates spaced apart and having their free edges terminating a sufficient distan-ce inwardly of the walls of said compartment to provide a tortuous passageway for the gases, so as to separate the solid particles therefrom by centrifugal force and deposit the same in the receiving compartments.

2. A device for separating and disposing of solid matter from the flue gases of furnaces and the like comprising, a chamber having intake and outlet openings, a plurality of receiving compartments disposed on opposite sides of said chamber, and each of said compartments having a curved deector extended alternately from opposite receiving compartments and partially the width of said chamber, said deflectors disposed in spaced superposed relationship, to denne a curving zig-zag passageway of substantially constant area throughout its length, for the passage of the gases.

3. A y ash trap, comprising, a casing structure, said casing structure including curved baffle plates disposed across the interior thereof, said bailles having arcuate form and having their curvatures disposed on radii taken from a common center, each baille plate stopping short of the opposite wall of the casing, said baille plates spaced and arranged so as to provide a sinuous passageway for the gases moving through the trap.

4. A fly ash trap, comprising, a casing structure, baille plates disposed across the interior of said casing and arranged to provide a winding passageway for gases moving through the casing structure, each of said bailles curving downwardly to an adjacent side of the casing from its free edge to provide a pocket in conjunction with the adjacent side of the casing for receiving the fly ash as it drops from the free leading edge of the baille disposed over the particular baille, and receptacles for receiving the fly ash from said pockets.

5. A ily ash trap, comprising, a casing structure, and curved baille plates disposed across the interior of said casing structure, each baille disposed on a radius taken from a center common to all of the bailles, and providing a free edge spaced from the opposite wall of the casing, the free edges; of certain of said bailles disposed lower than their respective tops, whereby the fly ash is directed downward slightly and will assume either a horizontal or a downward path, thereupon leaving the sinuous course of the gases flowing through the trap.

6. A device for separating and disposing of solid particles from ue gases and the like comprising, a chamber having a lower intake opening and an upper outlet opening, a plurality of baille plates extended alternately from opposite sides of said chamber for defining a tortuous pasageway for the gases, collecting chamlbers respectively disposed at said opposite sides, one respectively for each of said baffles, each of said chambers terminating at its open upper end along that edge of the respective baiiie which is adjacent the respective chamber, and adapted to receive the solid material separated from the ascending ilue gases, and conduits for conducting the solid material from the chambers.

'7. A device for separating and disposing of solid matter from flue gases and the like comprising a rectangular casing providing a series 'of parallel passageway defining plates arranged to provide a tortuous path for the gas flow, each plate having an attached edge adjacent a Wall of the chamber, a chamber for each plate extending downwardly from the edge of the plate which is adjacent the casing wall, said Ichambers including inclined directing plates for directing the separated solid particles to predetermined regions at the base of the casing, and discharge tubes extending from said regions to a receptacle.

8. A device for separating and disposing of solid matter from flue gases and the like comprising a rectangular casing providing a series of parallel plates arranged to provide a tortuous path for the gas ow, each plate having an attached edge adjacent a wall of the casing, a chamber for each plate extending downwardly from the edge of the plate, which is attached adjacent the respective side of the casing, said chambers including inclined directing plates extending downwardly from a central point for directing the separated solid particles to predetermined regions at the base of the casing, and discharge tubes extending from said regions to a common receptacle.

JOHN A. CRUM. 

